LOS ANGELES, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Rocker Tom Petty was named Thursday as recipient of the Billboard Century Award, the magazine's highest honor for creative achievement.
The four-time Grammy winner will receive the award during the Billboad Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The Dec. 6 ceremony will be broadcast live on Fox TV.
Petty, 54, just came off a North American tour with the Heartbreakers, which drew more than 550,000 fans to 36 shows, Billboard Boxscore reported.
He is finishing work on his third solo album, "Highway Companion," scheduled for spring release and has four songs in Cameron Crowe's new movie, "Elizabethtown," and on the accompanying soundtrack, which came out Sept. 13.
"This award comes at a particularly nice time as the Heartbreakers and I go into the 30th year of our career," Petty said. "I'm very honored that Billboard has acknowledged me with this award."
